Review: ‘Marshmallow’ is perfect summer camp fun -

Two years ago, I wrote about the slasher renaissance and how things had shifted away from the paranormal to something more visceral. Terrifier 2, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Halloween Ends. Then, there were countless indie offshoots, from Haunt to A Classic Horror Story. Slashers were all the rage. In 2025, the genre exploded further, with slashers becoming a hot ticket item once again. For better or worse, slashers are here to stay. With a script written by Andy Greskoviak, Daniel DelPurgatorio’s Marshmallow offers a fresh coat of paint to usual slasher standards. In coloring outside the lines, the film delivers charming characters, stunning cinematography, and, of course, plenty of ghost-like frights.

The story filters through Morgan’s (Kue Lawrence) perspective as he readies for summer camp. He’s a bit shy, an introvert by nature. His mom (Alysia Reiner) encourages him to be daring and step outside his comfort zone. So, he musters up all the bravery he can and promises he’ll do his best. His grandfather Roy (Corbin Bernsen) says it’ll be good to get away from the neighborhood bullies and try something new. With his oversized duffle bag, Morgan steps out at Camp Almar and settles in his cabin. He’s ready for anything.

But what he doesn’t anticipate is another group of bullies pouncing on him like buzzards onto a maggot-infested carcass. Camp quickly becomes the thing he was running from. But only he can turn it around – and he does, after befriending Dirk (Max Malas), Raj (Winston Vengapally), and Sam (Dylan Friedman). He then blushes when he meets Pilar (Kai Cech), a potential love interest and generally a kind-hearted person. Their collective chemistry pays homage to the great kid groups in cinema history, from The Goonies to Stranger Things. DelPurgatorio directs the young actors to be as endearing as possible, and you begin to root for their survival.

What we also learn about Morgan is that he suffers from terrible nightmares. It’s Freddy Krueger-level terrifying and dream-bending. His mom hopes the fresh air and nature will clear those cobwebs away. Once at camp, he still experiences those horrifying midnight miseries, which get much worse after he hears an urban legend about a doctor doing devilish work before the camp opened. Before you know it, a masked killer shows up brandishing an unconventional weapon we don’t see in slashers and slaughters campers in their sleep. It’s up to Morgan and his companions to get to the bottom of it all before it’s too late.

Marshmallow plays by the rules until it doesn’t. Greskoviak built the story to feature twists, turns, and shocking reveals. As the assailant racks up a gnarly body count, the stakes ratchet up to 100 before the third act swerve. The creative team pulls the rug from underneath your feet; you stay hooked, trying to pick your jaw up off the floor. The cast, particularly Lawrence, shows great promise as a young actor, often oscillating between sadness and fear with agility.

In his feature directorial debut, DelPurgatorio impresses, working overtime behind the camera to bring a magical on-camera shimmer. It’s equal parts spooky and stunning, making the film heads above most others in the indie scene. Marshmallow is a special kind of slasher we don’t get too often. While it might not reach the heights of the Fear Street trilogy (what could?!), it certainly carves its own name on the bark of the genre. You won’t soon forget this one.

Marshmallow hits theaters on April 11.